Baltic Empires: The Northern Wars of 1558-1721
Baltic Empires Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Components
- Game Board
- Infrastructure
- Units
- Resources
- Power Mats
- Hegemony Tracks
- Victory Conditions
- Dramatis Personae
- Round Overview
- Income Phase
- Maritime Trade Phase
- Finances Phase
- Production Phase
- War Phase
- Battle Resolution
- Hegemony Phase
- Diplomacy & Negotiation
- Power Specific Rules
- Setup & Scenarios
- Northern Wars (1558) – Five Players
- Northern Wars (1558) – Four Players
- Northern Wars (1558) – Three Players
- Northern Wars (1558) – Two Players
- Livonian War (1558) – Three Players
- Northern Seven Years War (1563) – Three Players
- Northern Seven Years War (1563) – Two Players
- Time of Troubles (1604) – Three Players
- Scanian War (1674) – Three Players
- Scanian War (1674) – Two Players
- Great Northern War (1700) – Five Players
- Great Northern War (1700) – Four Players
- Great Northern War (1700) – Two Players
- Key Terms Index
Components
A complete set of Baltic Empires includes:
- A 22" x 34" mounted game board
- A deck of 58 Dramatis Personae cards
- One Desperate Times card
- 110 wooden player Power control markers, marked with a crown symbol (20 red, 20 blue, 30 green, 15 black, and 25 brown)
- 8 wooden Independent Power control markers (yellow)
- One black round marker pawn
- One Hegemony Tracks mat
- Five Power mats
- Five countersheets
- Five player aid sheets
- Nine custom battle dice
- One Playbook
- This Rulebook
Game Board
The game board features a map divided into land areas (called Provinces), blue sea areas, and three Foreign Power holding areas. There is also a round track along the left side of the board, and a State Bankruptcy holding box used to show when Powers default on Loans.
Provinces and Religion
Provinces are demarcated either by thicker "external" borders or thinner dashed "internal" borders. The border color of each Province indicates which Power controls it at the start of the 1558 Northern Wars scenario, and these are sometimes referred to as a Power's "starting Provinces". The Capital Province of each player Power also has a thicker border in that Power's color. Each Province contains several icons that indicates what kind of infrastructure can be built there and what the Religion of the Province is (Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox).
A resource symbol indicates that a matching Workshop may be built in the Province, producing Goods of this type. Most Provinces can produce at least one Good, while some may be able to produce multiple Goods.
A coat of arms indicates that a City may be built in this Province. Some Provinces may have the capacity to build multiple Cities, while others may not be able to build any.
A scales symbol indicates that a Province is a Trade Center, and that a profitable Customs House can be built there.
A church and cross indicates the Religion of each Province. If a Power's Religion differs from a Province's, it will be more expensive for them to build infrastructure and units there.
Control
The current Control of each Province is indicated by the presence of a control marker (disk) in the controlling Power's color, crown side down for Noble Control and crown side up for Royal Control. Royal Control is necessary to make full use of a productive Province, and can also reduce military upkeep costs if sufficient Provinces have Royal Control. Independent Provinces (controlled by no player Power) are indicated with yellow control markers (without any crown symbol).
A Power that controls a Province also controls all the infrastructure there. A Province is treated as uncontrolled while another Power is Asserting Control there.
See War Phase for more information about Asserting Control.
Sea Areas
Each blue sea area is separated by a dotted line. Sea areas may only be occupied by Ships of the Line, and other units may only cross through sea areas with the assistance of friendly Ships of the Line. Sea areas are never controlled by any Power.
Foreign Power Areas
The three Foreign Power areas (Maritime Powers, Habsburg Lands, and Ottoman & Tartar Lands) may only be occupied by Independent Infantry, Cavalry, and Ships of the Line, and are considered to be out of play for all other purposes. The Habsburg Lands and Ottoman & Tartar Lands each show two city coats of arms that are for flavor only and have no game effect.
Adjacency
Provinces, sea areas, and Foreign Power areas are adjacent to all areas that they share a border with. Provinces that touch only at a corner point are not adjacent to each other.
Note that Finland is adjacent to the Mare Botnicum sea area, and Maritime Powers is adjacent to the Mare Norvegicum sea area.
Example: Vilna is adjacent to Polotsk and Polesia, but not to Vitebsk.
Round Track
The Round Track runs from 1 to 16, with color changes indicating the typical lengths for most scenarios (8, 12, or 16 rounds). The black pawn should be used to mark the current round, starting from '1' and moving down one box at the end of each round. This track is also used to hold Power control markers indicating when these Powers are due to repay a Loan.
State Bankruptcy Box
The State Bankruptcy box is used to hold control markers for any Power that defaults on a Loan by declining to repay it. For each of their control markers in the State Bankruptcy box, a Power suffers a -2 penalty to both their Mercantile and Production Hegemony levels and also reduces the total number of Loans they can take by one, and will furthermore be in a weaker position if the game goes to a tiebreaker.
See Hegemony Tracks for more information about the effects of Hegemony levels, and Victory Conditions for more details about the tiebreaker conditions.
Map Icon Reference
The board and counters use the following icons: Infantry, Cavalry, Fortress, and Ship of the Line unit icons; Round Track, Foreign Power area, Sea area, Province, and Capital Province map icons; City, Customs House, and Workshop infrastructure icons; and the State Bankruptcy box icon. A Province's Religion is shown as Orthodox, Protestant, or Catholic. A resource symbol shows that a Workshop may be built there, a Trade Center symbol shows that a Customs House may be built there, and a City symbol shows that a City may be built there.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure are larger square counters that can be built in Provinces and contribute to the controlling Power's income during the Income Phase. Workshops also increase the controlling Power's Production Hegemony level, while Cities and Customs Houses increase their Mercantile Hegemony level.
See Hegemony Tracks for more information about the effects of Hegemony levels.
Workshops come in eleven different types, each producing a specific Good. A Workshop may only be built in a Province with a matching Goods symbol, and once built, should be placed on top of that symbol to indicate that another Workshop of the same type cannot be built there (unless there is also another symbol of that type in the same Province).
All Cities are identical and each produces one Thaler. One City may be built on each coat of arms in a Province, and once built, should be placed on top of that coat of arms to indicate that another City cannot be built there.
There are three Customs House markers, all identical, and they can only be built on Trade Centers (one each in Hamburg, Danzig, and Riga). Each Customs House produces both one Thaler and one random Maritime Trade resource. Controlling Customs Houses is also important for the Trade Monopoly victory condition in standard length games.
See Income Phase for more information about earning Goods and Thalers from infrastructure.
Design Note: Uncovered infrastructure spots on the map do not necessarily represent undeveloped land, but more often local production or towns not contributing to the economy of the country in general or to the central authority specifically.
Units
Units are smaller square counters in Power colors (or tan for Independent units) that may move around the map, engage in battles against other units, and conquer Provinces. There are four types of units in Baltic Empires: Infantry, Cavalry, Fortresses, and Ships of the Line.
Infantry and Cavalry are mobile units that occupy Provinces. Independent Infantry and Cavalry may also occupy Foreign Power areas. There can be any number of Infantry and Cavalry in the same area.
Fortresses are static units that occupy Provinces and cannot move. There can only be a maximum of one Fortress in each Province at one time.
Ships of the Line are mobile units that occupy sea areas. Independent Ships of the Line may also occupy the Maritime Powers area. There can be any number of Ships of the Line in the same area.
Leader units are special counters that enter play with specific Dramatis Personae cards, acting as the unit type indicated on the card.
Resources
Resources are circular counters that are earned during the Income and Maritime Trade Phases, and spent during the Production Phase. Regular brown Goods are produced by Workshops and bronze or silver Thalers are produced by Cities (there is no game difference between visually distinct Thalers, which are just provided for variety). Each player should keep their resources near their Power mat, flipping them to their 'spent' side after spending them. Thalers may be retained between rounds, but all Goods are lost to wastage at the end of each round.
Special gray Maritime Trade resources (Goods and Thalers) are produced by Maritime Trade and Customs Houses. The supply of these should be kept together in a cup, as they are randomly drawn when gained. Whenever a Maritime Trade resource (Good or Thaler) is spent it should be returned to the cup.
Play Tip: Each Power will typically produce a similar set of Goods each round, so it can be convenient to keep these Goods near you, flipping them to 'spent' rather than returning them to the supply after use. Just remember that Maritime Trade resources must be returned to the cup when spent!
Power Mats
The five player Powers (Denmark-Norway, Sweden, Russia, Poland-Lithuania, and Brandenburg-Prussia) each have a matching Power mat that contains information about that Power and is used to hold their available unit counters. Power mats are double-sided, with the rules for standard scenarios on one side and for extended scenarios on the other.
See Setup & Scenarios for more information about standard and extended scenarios.
Power mats contain the following elements:
- A summary of the round phases along the top of the mat.
- The full name of the Power above a portrait of their most notable historical ruler toward the start of the period covered by the game, with innate modifiers to Hegemony levels underneath this and national religion to the right.
- Special rules affecting the Power to the left of the ruler portrait, and a summary of victory conditions to the right of the ruler portrait.
- A summary of National Ambitions in the center of the mat, with production costs around the edge of this.
- Spaces along both sides of the Power mat for unit counters to be placed, with upkeep costs next to these. Each Power should always place their available unit counters in the cross-hatched spaces first (if any), then in the remaining highest numbered spaces possible, one unit per space, with the highest revealed space indicating their current upkeep costs. A Power may only have units in play equal to the highest numbered space (e.g., the cross-hatched spaces, if present, will always contain units).
Example: If Brandenburg-Prussia has nine units available, they would place them in the six cross-hatched spaces, then in the X, IX, and VIII spaces on their Power mat, leaving the VII space as the highest revealed space and indicating an upkeep cost of three Thalers per round.
Hegemony Tracks
The separate Hegemony mat is used to record the current Hegemony levels of each player Power in three different areas: Mercantile, Production, and Military. It is also used to indicate which Power is currently the Hegemon in each category, which has several different game effects. Players should use the Hegemony markers in their Power color to track their current Hegemony levels, updating them whenever they change during the game. For practical reasons, each track only goes up to 16, but in the rare situation that a Power exceeds this level they should use their second marker to continue counting from the bottom of the track.
The Hegemon Power in each category is only updated at the end of the round, during the Hegemony Phase, and should be recorded either by flipping that Power's corresponding Hegemony marker over to its crown side, or by placing the second copy of their corresponding marker at the top of the track on its crown side – which ever players find most clear and convenient.
Play Tip: There are two versions of the Hegemony track: one more decorative spiralling track, and one simpler vertical track. Players should use whichever side they find more convenient.
Mercantile Hegemony
A Power's Mercantile Hegemony level is equal to the total number of Cities and Customs Houses in Provinces that it controls, plus any modifiers from its Power mat, Dramatis Personae cards, and/or State Bankruptcy markers.
Example: Brandenburg-Prussia controls two Cities and one Customs House, and also receives a +2 modifier to Mercantile Hegemony from its Power mat. It currently has a Mercantile Hegemony level of 5.
The Mercantile Hegemon (the Power with the highest Mercantile Hegemony level at the end of the previous round) determines the order in which Maritime Trade is carried out and Loans are taken (during the Finances Phase), and also receives an additional Maritime Trade resource during the Maritime Trade Phase.
Production Hegemony
A Power's Production Hegemony level is equal to the total number of Workshops in Provinces that it controls, plus any modifiers from its Power mat, Dramatis Personae cards, and/or State Bankruptcy markers.
Example: Russia controls eight Workshops, but receives a -2 modifier to Production Hegemony from its Power mat. However, it also has a Dramatis Personae card in its Court that increases Production Hegemony by +1. It currently has a Production Hegemony level of 7.
The Production Hegemon (the Power with the highest Production Hegemony level at the end of the previous round) determines the order in which the Production Phase is carried out.
Military Hegemony
A Power's Military Hegemony level is equal to the total number of its units on the map, plus any modifiers from its Power mat and/or Dramatis Personae cards (State Bankruptcy has no effect on Military Hegemony).
Example: Sweden has six units on the map, and no other modifiers to Military Hegemony. It currently has a Military Hegemony level of 6.
The Military Hegemon (the Power with the highest Military Hegemony level at the end of the previous round) determines the order in which the War Phase is carried out.
Cultural Hegemony
If, at the end of the Hegemony Phase, a single Power is the Hegemon in all three categories, they have achieved Cultural Hegemony and win the game.
Victory Conditions
There are several different ways to win a game of Baltic Empires, depending on the scenario being played. Standard and extended scenarios use a common set of victory conditions that can be found on the corresponding side of each Power's mat, while other scenarios may have additional specific victory conditions. Furthermore, Dramatis Personae cards may introduce new victory conditions during the game. All victory conditions are assessed at the end of each round, during the Hegemony Phase.
Trade Monopoly
A Power wins a Trade Monopoly victory if, at the end of the Hegemony Phase, it controls:
- Standard: Two or more Customs Houses
- Extended: All three Trade Center Provinces
Design Note: By controlling the mouths of the great rivers of the Baltic and the rich trade that flowed through them, a power would be in an extremely favorable situation. The money that would flow into their coffers from revenues would enable that power to establish a true Dominium Maris Baltici.
Note that the extended Trade Monopoly condition only requires control of the three Trade Center Provinces, not the construction of the Customs Houses.
Cultural Hegemony
A Power wins a Cultural Hegemony victory if, at the end of the Hegemony Phase, they are simultaneously Mercantile, Production, and Military Hegemon.
Design Note: A power that could successfully establish itself as an economic and military powerhouse in the region would naturally become a cultural center and an inspiration and object of envy to other rulers.
Note that this victory condition is the same in both standard and extended scenarios.
National Ambition
A Power wins a National Ambition victory by achieving a set of unique, Power-specific conditions at the end of the Hegemony Phase. These are summarised on each Power mat and explained in more detail in the Power Specific Rules section.
Design Note: The political, historical, and geostrategic goals of the powers differed greatly, as reflected by their national ambitions.
Note that different versions of each National Ambition are used in standard and extended scenarios.
Balance of Power
Brandenburg-Prussia (only) wins a Balance of Power victory if, at the end of the final Hegemony Phase, no other Power has yet won, they control both Königsberg and Brandenburg (their starting Provinces), and their Vassal status has been cancelled.
Design Note: This condition reflects Brandenburg-Prussia's status as the region's minor power. If they could maintain a balance of power between the others and prevent any of them from establishing a hegemony in the region in the short term, the road would be open for Prussia's rise to power in the long term. In game terms it also nicely compensates Brandenburg-Prussia for its weaker starting position.
Note that this victory condition is the same in both standard and extended scenarios, but may be harder to achieve in the longer extended scenario.
Alternative Victory Conditions
Dramatis Personae cards (see Dramatis Personae) may introduce alternative victory conditions, which are typically also assessed at the end of each Hegemony Phase. These are described on the relevant cards, with some clarificatory notes in the Playbook.
Breaking Ties
If two or more Powers have fulfilled their victory conditions when checking for victory during the Hegemony Phase, or if no Power has achieved victory at the end of the game, then victory goes to the Power that is the Hegemon in most categories, or if still tied, to the Power with the fewest current Loans and Bankruptcy markers. If this also results in a tie, any remaining Powers establish a personal union and share victory.
Dramatis Personae
Dramatis Personae (DP) cards, representing important historical figures and the abilities that they exemplify, are available to recruit during each Production Phase. At the start of the game the deck of Dramatis Personae cards is shuffled and five are drawn, then the supply of available Dramatis Personae is refreshed at the end of each round. If the deck is exhausted, the discard pile should be shuffled to form a new deck.
Each Power has slots for Dramatis Personae cards, called their 'Court', at the bottom of their Power mat. Some slots may always be filled, but others have specific conditions that must be met before a Dramatis Personae may be placed there (there is no effect if a condition ceases to be met while a card is in that slot). A Power may always choose to discard a Dramatis Personae card during the Production Phase to make room for a new one. The Loan Limit of each Power is determined by the number of Dramatis Personae cards in their Court.
A Dramatis Personae card has the following features:
- The name of an important historical figure and the attribute or ability that they exemplify, above their portrait.
- A card number for easy reference.
- Possibly one or more Hegemony modifiers.
- A unique effect or effects.
There are several different kinds of unique effect that a Dramatis Personae card may possess. These effects take priority over normal game rules and may break them in unusual ways. Clarifications about some unique effects can be found in the numbered Playbook entries for the Dramatis Personae cards. There are the following kinds of unique effect:
- Immediate: Resolve these effects as soon as the card is recruited to your Court.
- One Time: These effects may be used once as indicated on the card, at a time of your choice, then the card is discarded.
- Permanent: These effects are always active while the card is in your Court.
- Victory: A special kind of permanent effect that gives you a new victory condition, either in addition to or replacing your National Ambition. These conditions are checked at the end of each Hegemony Phase as usual.
- Leader: A special kind of permanent effect that gives you control of a unique Leader unit. If the unit is removed then the card must be discarded, and if the card is discarded then the Leader unit must be removed. Leader units behave as a specific kind of regular unit, as indicated on the card, and are affected by other Dramatis Personae cards that improve units of that type. They are also affected by Sweden's Superior Firepower rule (if Infantry) and Poland-Lithuania's Winged Hussars rule (if Cavalry), but not by Russia's Ill-Trained Troops rule (as it is assumed that Leader units are specialized elites).
Design Note: The 'court' of Dramatis Personae are an abstraction of many things such as reforms of the military, legal reforms, introduction of new tactics, introduction of new technology, more efficient use of existing technology, internal strife, dynastic politics, foreign alliances, and exploration and colonization beyond the map. Some of these were short-lived advantages tied to a single person, such as an outstanding military commander, and others were fundamental reforms of the state with long-lasting effects. They are all named after the specific historical character who was the inspiration for that card's effects, but do not necessarily mean that this actual character has been recruited. Thus, it is possible, for example, for Denmark to get Peter the Great. This should not be seen as the historical Peter from the Romanov dynasty somehow rising to the throne in Denmark instead of in Russia, but instead as a talented and forceful Danish monarch implementing reforms somewhat similar in effect. No design effort has been made to make the Dramatis Personae cards equally strong, and some are generally good while others are highly situational.
Round Overview
Baltic Empires is played over a number of rounds, 8 or 12 in a standard scenario and 12 or 16 in an extended scenario (decided by players before the game begins). Early victory is possible during the Hegemony Phase at the end of each round, or otherwise determined at the end of the final round. The general structure of a round is summarized in this section and on the player aid sheet, then each phase is described in more detail in the following sections.
When necessary, the order in which Powers resolve each phase is determined by the relevant Hegemon: Mercantile for Maritime Trade and Finances, Production for Production, and Military for War.
Play Tip: The order of play is most important during the War Phase, moderately important during the Production Phase, and usually unimportant during the Maritime Trade and Finances Phases. If players agree they can resolve most phases simultaneously.
1. Income Phase
Each Power collects Goods and Thalers from the Workshops, Cities, and Customs Houses that they control. A maximum of one Good and one Thaler may be collected from Workshops and Cities in a Province with Noble Control. No resources may be collected from a Province containing any enemy units (including Independent units).
2. Maritime Trade Phase
Each Power designates a Volume of Trade up to their current Mercantile Hegemony level, then spends this number of Goods to receive an equal number of Maritime Trade resources (drawn randomly from the cup). The Mercantile Hegemon draws one additional Maritime Trade resource at the end of the phase.
3. Finances Phase
Each Power may establish new Loans, up to their Loan Limit, by placing a control marker for each new Loan two rounds ahead on the Round Track and receiving two Thalers. Then, each Power may choose to repay any of their Loans that are due this round by removing their control marker(s) from the Round Track, at a cost of three Thalers per Loan to be repaid. Finally, any unpaid Loans are moved to the State Bankruptcy box.
Each Power must then pay upkeep in Thalers for their units on the map, as indicated by the highest empty box on their unit track. If upkeep cannot be paid, then units must be removed until it can.
4. Production Phase
Each Power may produce infrastructure (Workshops, Cities, and Customs Houses) and units (Infantry, Cavalry, Fortresses, and Ships of the Line), enforce Royal Control, and recruit Dramatis Personae cards. The costs for each item are indicated on the Power mats (possibly with an additional cost for Religious Differences), and each item must be purchased with a set of non-matching Goods equal to its cost. Any number of Thalers may be substituted as 'wild' Goods. At the end of the Production Phase all unspent Goods are lost.
5. War Phase
Each Power takes a War turn, during which they may first ally with Independent units and take control of Provinces where they are Asserting Control, then move their units and resolve battles in spaces where they are present with enemy units. After battles, in each enemy Province that now contains only their own units, a Power may choose to Assert Control or Ravage. At the end of the War Phase one Infrastructure is destroyed in each Province that contains units belonging to more than one Power (including Independent units).
6. Hegemony Phase
Each Power should check their Hegemony levels are correct, then the highest Power in each category becomes Hegemon. If there is a tie, the previous Hegemon determines who will be the new Hegemon (possibly themself). After the new Hegemons are determined, players should check to see if one or more Power has met a victory condition, in which case victory is determined (see Victory Conditions). If no Power has achieved victory, all unclaimed Dramatis Personae cards are discarded and five new cards are drawn, then play continues to the next round (unless this was the final round, in which case the game ends and victory is determined).
Income Phase
During the Income Phase each Power collects Goods and Thalers from the infrastructure in Provinces that they control and that do not contain any enemy units (including Independent units).
Workshops
Each Workshop produces one Good of the corresponding type. In a Province with Noble Control a Power may only collect a maximum of one Good from Workshops (their choice which). In a Province with Royal Control they can collect one Good from each Workshop.
Cities
Each City produces one Thaler. In a Province with Noble Control a Power may only collect a maximum of one Thaler from Cities. In a Province with Royal Control they can collect one Thaler from each City.
Design Note: The countries and states in the Baltic region during this period were marked by a very high level of decentralization, as monarchs were very dependent on the nobility to grant them the resources they needed, and many provinces and powerful noble families had special arrangements which more or less exempted them from any financial obligations to the state. In many countries the nobility strongly distrusted the monarchy (often with good reason) and opposed any attempts to increase the authority, military strength, and fiscal situation of the central administration, as they feared this new-found power would be used to increase royal power at the cost of the nobility's privileges and power.
Customs Houses
Each Customs House produces both one Thaler and one Maritime Trade resource (drawn randomly from the cup), regardless of whether the Province has Noble or Royal Control.
Design Note: Control of the mouths of the Elbe, Dvina, and Vistula rivers were an objective for most rulers at the time, as whoever controlled the mouths of the rivers could tax the plentiful trade going to and from England, France, and the Dutch Republic, through the Baltic Sea to connect with most of Central Europe.
Desperate Times
If a Power is holding the Desperate Times card (see Hegemony Phase), they receive an additional two Thalers during the Income Phase.
Maritime Trade Phase
During the Maritime Trade Phase each Power declares a Volume of Trade, then discards that many Goods (of any type) to draw an equal number of Maritime Trade resources from the cup. A Power may never declare a Volume of Trade that is higher than their current Mercantile Hegemony level or the number of Goods they have available for trade.
Design Note: Maritime Trade resources are either Thalers or rare types of Goods not otherwise found on the map, and represent imported goods from Asia and the Americas as well as manufactured products from the Netherlands, France, or Britain.
Manipulating the Markets
The Mercantile Hegemon determines the order in which trade is conducted (if there is any dispute), and at the end of the Maritime Trade Phase they draw one Maritime Trade resource from the cup (in addition to any they gained from trade).
Design Note: This represents the ability of the state with the strongest merchant communities, most developed net of international commercial contacts, and control of local ports to manipulate the trade situation to get better prices for certain goods or simply increased income from customs.
Sound Dues
At the end of this phase Denmark-Norway also receives additional (regular) Thalers equal to half the highest Volume of Trade among other Powers (rounded up), provided that they control both Scania and Copenhagen.
Example: Denmark-Norway controls both Scania and Copenhagen, and the highest Volume of Trade among other Powers was five. At the end of the Maritime Trade Phase they receive an additional three Thalers (half of five, rounded up).
Design Note: The Sound Dues, a toll on all goods passing through the strait between Scania and Zealand, provided up to two-thirds of the Danish crown's income in the 16th and 17th centuries. To avoid fraudulent declarations the crown reserved the right to purchase all goods at their declared value.
Finances Phase
During the Finances Phase each Power may take out new Loans and pay back (or default on) old Loans, and must pay upkeep for their units on the map. If necessary, the Mercantile Hegemon determines the order in which players make these decisions, but in many cases it may be possible to resolve them simultaneously.
Establishing Loans
A Power's Loan Limit determines the maximum number of Loans they may have at any one time. It is determined by a base value indicated on each Power mat, plus the number of Dramatis Personae cards in their Court, minus any control markers they have in the State Bankruptcy box.
Example: Denmark-Norway has two Dramatis Personae in their Court, so can have a maximum of three Loans (one base + two cards in Court). They already have two existing Loans from previous rounds, so can only establish one new Loan right now. In order to increase their Loan limit they could pay back some old Loans or recruit new Dramatis Personae cards.
Up to this Loan Limit, a Power may establish any number of new Loans by placing one of their control markers on the Round track two rounds ahead of the current round and taking two Thalers. Control markers on the Round track represent active Loans that must be paid back (or defaulted on) once that round is reached.
In the final two rounds of the game a maximum of one new Loan may be established by each Power per round.
Example: It is Round 5, and Poland-Lithuania desperately needs resources to fight a war. They decide to establish two new Loans and immediately receive four Thalers (two Loans worth two Thalers each), then place two Polish control markers on Round 7 on the Round track, to indicate when the Loans will need to be repaid.
Repaying Loans
After establishing any new Loans, each Power must repay their Loans that are now due, indicated by their control markers in the current round box on the Round track. Each due Loan must be dealt with in one of the following two ways:
- Pay three Thalers to remove the Loan marker from the track. Controlled infrastructure may be removed to make up for any missing Thalers, at the rate of one Thaler per infrastructure removed.
- Default on the Loan by moving its marker to the State Bankruptcy box (which will immediately reduce their Mercantile and Production Hegemony levels, and will also reduce their Loan Limit in future rounds).
Example: Russia needs to repay two Loans, for a total of six Thalers due. They only have five Thalers and need to keep two of those to pay military upkeep. They spend three Thalers to repay one Loan, but will need to either remove three infrastructure to pay for the other, or default on it and move the Loan marker to the State Bankruptcy box.
Paying Military Upkeep
Powers must now pay upkeep in Thalers for all of their units on the map. The upkeep cost is determined by looking at the value adjacent to the highest numbered empty box on the unit track on their Power mat. It may be reduced if a Power has sufficient Provinces with Royal Control, as indicated at the top of their Power mat.
If a Power has insufficient Thalers they must remove units until the number of their units on the map reaches an affordable level. A Power may also voluntarily remove units they do not wish to pay upkeep for during this phase. Note that no upkeep is paid for Leader units, as they do not come from the Power mats.
Example: Brandenburg-Prussia has seven units on the map, which means that they need to pay three Thalers in upkeep (the number next to the 'VII' space on their unit track). If they had Royal Control in four or more Provinces this would be reduced by one, to two Thalers.
Design Note: During this period governments borrowed massive amounts of money to fund their wars and building projects, and state bankruptcies were a common phenomenon. Powers are assumed to borrow money from a combination of rich families within their country, major European banking houses like the Fuggers, and other states outside the game such as the Netherlands and France. The ability to remove infrastructure to repay Loans represents the desperate selling of crown assets across the country to the nobility to pay back creditors and avoid bankruptcy, while the option to default on Loans gives recourse to a quick fix with harsh long-term consequences as the Power's credit rating and prestige drops. The large cost of maintaining standing armies was a huge problem for monarchs and statesmen during this period, and it was one of the causes for the introduction of absolutism and increased centralization that happened in most of Europe during the era.
Production Phase
During the Production Phase each Power spends goods and Thalers to produce infrastructure and units, enforce Royal Control, and recruit Dramatis Personae. The Production Hegemon determines the order of Production, which can matter for priority of Dramatis Personae selection and to be able to see what other Powers are doing before making decisions about what to produce.
Production in General
Powers may spend Goods and Thalers to produce different items. The cost to produce each item is shown on each Power mat, and differs from Power to Power. To produce an item a Power must pay the cost in sets of non-matching Goods, with Thalers substituting for any kind of Good.
Example: An item with a cost of '3' could be paid for with a set of three non-matching Goods, such as one Iron, one Wood, and one Cattle. Thalers could be substituted for any of those Goods, for example paying one Iron, one Wood, and one Thaler; one Iron and two Thalers; or even three Thalers.
Design Note: This requirement of different Goods represents the period's politics of mercantilism, where all powers strived for a positive balance of trade and a high level of self-sufficiency in production of finished goods and control of raw materials.
Religious Differences
The cost to produce any item is increased if the Province it is being produced in has a different religion to the acting Power. The cost increase is indicated on each Power mat.
Design Note: This period in European history was characterized by violent religious warfare, and while religion was certainly a less important cause for conflict in the Baltic compared to Germany and France, it was still very much a factor, and local nobles and populations whose religion was different from the rest of the realm were typically more reluctant to wholeheartedly support their ruler as they (often rightly) feared repression.
Building Infrastructure
Infrastructure may be built in any Province that the Power controls and that does not contain any enemy units (including Independent units). There must be a valid space to build it, as described in the Infrastructure section.
Play Tip: It can be convenient to take a matching circular Goods counter at the same time as building a Workshop, placed 'spent' side up to indicate that it will not be available until the next Income Phase.
Building Units
Units may be built in any Province that the Power controls and that does not contain any enemy units. A Fortress may only be built in a Province that does not already contain one. Ships of the Line may be built in any sea area adjacent to a Province where other units could be built. As units are built the remaining available units should be shifted down to indicate the number of units on map (see Power Mats).
Balance of Power: Brandenburg-Prussia may produce one Independent unit for free in any Independent Province (without non-Independent units) or Foreign Power area, or in a sea area adjacent to such areas.
Enforcing Royal Control
Royal Control may be enforced in any Province with Noble Control that the Power controls, and that also contains at least one of their own units and no enemy units (including Independent units). Flip the control marker over to its crown side to show that it is now under direct Royal Control.
Design Note: The presence of friendly units indicates the need to forcefully impose control of the central authority upon the local nobility. The units could potentially have been built during the same Production Phase.
Recruiting Dramatis Personae
Dramatis Personae cards may only be recruited if the Power controls their Capital Province (outlined with a thick colored line on the map). Each Power may recruit a maximum of one Dramatis Personae card from the display per Production Phase, placing it in an available slot in their Court (they may discard a previous card to make room if necessary).
Desperate Times
If a Power is holding the Desperate Times card (see Hegemony Phase), they may purchase one additional Dramatis Personae card from the discard pile at a discount of two resources, even if they do not control their Capital Province.
Wastage
At the end of the Production Phase each Power loses any remaining Goods that they have not spent (remembering to return any discarded Maritime Trade Goods to the cup). Any unspent Thalers may be kept.
Design Note: Wastage represents the relatively low level of effectiveness of both the central and regional administrations during this period, and the high rates of corruption and theft at the local levels, while the royal treasury was usually better administered.
War Phase
During the War Phase each Power takes a War turn, during which they will ally with Independent units, take control of Provinces where they are already Asserting Control, then move their units and engage in battle and conquest. The Military Hegemon decides which order the Powers will take their War turns in, and may wait to see how one turn goes before deciding who will act next.
Each War turn is composed of the following steps, which must be resolved in this order:
- Ally with Independent units
- Take control where Asserting Control
- Move naval units
- Resolve naval battles
- Move land units
- Resolve land battles
- Resolve conquests
After all Powers have completed their War turns there is a final Devastation step, then the phase is complete.
1. Ally with Independent units
The acting Power may spend any number of Thalers to ally with any Independent units for the duration of their War turn, at a cost of one Thaler per allied unit. Allied units are treated identically to that Power's own units, except that they do not gain any battle modifiers from the Power's special rules or Dramatis Personae cards. All alliances with Independent units end once a Power's War turn is complete (meaning that multiple Powers may ally with the same unit in one War Phase).
Balance of Power: Brandenburg-Prussia may ally for free with one Independent unit during their War turn.
Vassal of Poland: Brandenburg-Prussia and Poland-Lithuania may use allied Independent units to attack each other even while the Vassal status is still in effect.
Play Tip: If necessary, you can place a control marker on each allied unit to indicate that it belongs to the acting Power until the end of their War turn. Remove all control markers from allied units at the end of the Power's War turn. Allied Independent ships may transport friendly land units across sea areas and vice versa, and allied Independent units can fight in battles alongside the Power's units and be removed as losses if desired (even before the Power's own units).
Design Note: The Baltic region did not exist in a vacuum. Events here were heavily influenced by the actions of the Ottomans, the Habsburgs, and the maritime powers (England and the Netherlands), and most of the powers in the game did at times either fight or ally with one or more of these. This rule reflects such alliances without making their actions overly complex. The cost to ally with a unit loosely represents either direct payment for an alliance in money or by agreeing on less beneficial trading deals or reduced subsidies from an ally in exchange for more direct participation by them. Prussia, being the underdog power in the region, had interests more in line with these outside powers, as they also sought to prevent any power in the Baltic region from becoming overly powerful, and as such they get a free Independent unit placement and alliance each Round.
2. Take control where Asserting Control
If the Power is Asserting Control (indicated by one of their units on top of the control marker) in any Province without any enemy units (including non-allied Independent units), they now take control of that Province. Replace the control marker with one of their own, crown side down to show that it is under Noble Control. If they were Asserting Control but enemy units are present, remove their unit from the control marker.
Autocratic Conqueror: Russia always places new control markers crown side up, indicating Royal Control.
Play Tip: Conquering a Province is a lengthy process, requiring you to begin Asserting Control at the end of one War turn, and then defend your position until the start of your next War turn. Cunning players may be able to coordinate the timing of their War turns to go last in one round and then first in the next round, making this process significantly easier.
3. Move naval units
The acting Power may move any of their Ships of the Line through up to two adjacent sea areas, stopping movement in the second area entered. If the first sea area entered contains any enemy Ships of the Line (including non-allied Independents), then they must stop there unless all enemy Powers with ships present agree to let them pass (Independents will never agree to this unless allied). Ships of the Line may never enter Provinces.
Vassal of Poland: While the Vassal status is in effect Brandenburg-Prussia and Poland-Lithuania are not treated as enemies for the purposes of movement, except for allied Independent units. This means that their Ship of the Line units may pass each other's units without seeking permission first.
4. Resolve naval battles
A battle must now be resolved in any sea area that now contains the acting Power's Ships of the Line and any enemy Ships of the Line (see Battle Resolution). If all Powers present in an area agree not to fight then that battle may be skipped.
Vassal of Poland: While the Vassal status is in effect Brandenburg-Prussia and Poland-Lithuania are not treated as enemies for the purposes of naval battles, except for allied Independent units. This means that they may not battle against each other unless one Power is using allied Independent units, in which case only those Independent units will be involved in the battle on the attacking side.
5. Move land units
The acting Power may move any of their Infantry to adjacent Provinces; and may move any of their Cavalry through up to two adjacent Provinces, stopping movement in the second Province entered. If the first Province entered by Cavalry contains any enemy units (including non-allied Independents), then they must stop there unless all enemy Powers with units present agree to let them pass (Independents will never agree to this unless allied).
Infantry and Cavalry may never enter sea areas, but instead of resolving their normal movement they may be moved across a chain of adjacent sea areas containing friendly Ships of the Line, ending their movement in a Province. Fortresses may never be moved, and allied Independent units may be moved into (or through) Foreign Power areas.
Vassal of Poland: While the Vassal status is in effect Brandenburg-Prussia and Poland-Lithuania are not treated as enemies for the purposes of movement, except for allied Independent units. This means that their Cavalry units may pass each other's units without seeking permission first.
6. Resolve land battles
A battle must now be resolved in any areas that now contain the acting Power's Infantry and/or Cavalry (including Leader units) and any enemy units (see Battle Resolution). The acting Power's Fortresses are ignored for the purposes of land battle resolution. If all Powers present in a Province agree not to fight then that battle may be skipped.
Vassal of Poland: While the Vassal status is in effect Brandenburg-Prussia and Poland-Lithuania are not treated as enemies for the purposes of land battles, except for allied Independent units. This means that they may not battle against each other unless one Power is using allied Independent units, in which case only those Independent units will be involved in the battle on the attacking side.
7. Resolve conquests
In any enemy Province where the acting Power now has their own units and no enemy units, they may choose to take one of the following conquest actions:
- Ravage: Remove one infrastructure for each unit they have there.
- Assert Control: Place one of their own units (not allied) on top of the control marker. While in this state the Province is treated as being controlled by no Power, and if they can maintain it until their next War turn they may take control of the Province.
- Do Nothing: On rare occasions a Power may decide not to take either of these options.
Play Tip: The ability to remove all control while Asserting Control is important for preventing automatic victories during the Hegemony Phase and means that conquest is still meaningful in the final round of the game.
Devastation
At the end of the War Phase, once all Powers have taken their turns, one additional infrastructure is removed from any Province where units of multiple Powers are still present (including any Independent units). The Power that has a control marker in the Province decides which infrastructure to remove (Brandenburg-Prussia decides for Independent Provinces).
Vassal of Poland: Devastation always occurs from the presence of Prussian and Polish units, even if the Vassal status is still in effect.
Design Note: The warfare of this period was massively destructive and wasteful. Soldiers (enemies as well as allies) looted wherever they came – often as a part of their contractual payment for service, which caused widespread displacement of the population and economy, and meant sustained fighting over an area would turn it to a barren wasteland that neither army could sustain itself in. Deliberate and organized destruction of supplies and shelter was seen as a practical way of hurting the enemy's army by making it harder for it to live off the land, and thus either delay the enemy or punish the ruler of the lands.
Battle Resolution
Naval and land battles are both resolved using the same simple system. The acting Power is the attacker, and all other Powers are the defenders (even if the battle takes place in a Province controlled by the acting Power). Each battle is resolved with a single roll of the Battle Dice. The attacker and all defenders simultaneously roll one Battle Die of the appropriate type for each of their units in the battle (keep dice rolled for allied Independent units separate to indicate that they are not affected by Power special rules). Each Leader unit fights as designated on their Dramatis Personae card, including most Power special rules for their unit type (exception: Russian Leader units do not suffer the penalty from the Russian 'Ill-Trained Troops' special rule). There is no limit on the total number of Battle Dice rolled by each side.
Fortresses
Fortresses only participate in battles when defending, and thus no battle will occur in Provinces that contain an acting Power's Fortress and no other of their units, even if there are also enemy units there. However, a battle may occur once the owner of those enemy units becomes the active Power, with the Fortress defending. Fortresses belonging to the acting Power may also not be eliminated even if a battle does take place in a Province containing one (for all purposes they are treated as not being present for the battle).
Truces
Any player may choose not to roll dice in a battle, in order to purposefully avoid potentially removing units from another Power. In some cases this may mean that neither attacker nor defenders rolls any dice, in which case a battle is not resolved. In battles with only one defender, both attacker and defender may agree not to roll any dice, otherwise both must roll dice. If there are multiple defenders, the attacker should indicate which defenders they are willing to negotiate with, and those defenders may choose not to roll any dice – the attacker is then forbidden from removing units from defenders who chose not to roll any dice. Any defender who the attacker does not negotiate with must roll dice, and if any defender is rolling dice then the attacker must also roll dice. If the attacker indicates that they are willing to negotiate with all defenders, and all defenders choose not to roll dice, then the attacker will not roll either and no battle takes place.
Play Tip: Truces allow Powers to travel across each other's territory without engaging in battle, although devastation will still occur at the end of the War Phase if units from more than one Power remain in the same Province.
Battle Die Results
Each unit type rolls a specific kind of Battle Die with different outcomes on each face:
- Infantry rolls a white die
- Cavalry rolls a brown die
- Fortresses roll a gray die
- Ships of the Line roll a blue die
Each die outcome has the following effect, possibly modified by Power special rules and Dramatis Personae cards:
- Hit: Removes one enemy unit if not blocked.
- Double Hit: Removes two enemy units if not blocked.
- Probable Hit: Removes one enemy unit if not blocked, but may be converted to a miss by a Power special rule or Dramatis Personae card.
- Hit vs Non-Fortress: Removes one enemy unit if not blocked, but is converted to a miss if there is a defending Fortress.
- Hit if Adjacent Fortress: Counts as a hit only if there is a friendly Fortress in an adjacent Province.
- Miss: No effect.
- Probable Miss: No effect, but may be converted to a hit by a Power special rule or Dramatis Personae card.
- Block: Negates the effect of one hit.
- Double Block: Negates the effect of two hits.
- Block if Adjacent Fortress: Counts as a block only if there is a friendly Fortress in an adjacent Province.
- Hit and Block: Removes one enemy unit if not blocked and negates the effect of one hit.
Each uncancelled hit removes one enemy unit, chosen by the Power whose unit was hit. In the case of multiple defenders, the attacker may choose which defending Power each hit is assigned to. Defender hits are always assigned to the attacking Power. The effects and distribution of each Battle Die are also summarized on the player aid sheet.
Hegemony Phase
At the start of the Hegemony Phase all players should check that the Hegemony levels are correct for their Power – these should be updated continuously throughout the round, but can also be calculated from scratch if necessary (see Hegemony Tracks).
Play Tip: Remember that Provinces where another Power is Asserting Control are treated as being controlled by no Power, which can be very important when determining the new Hegemons and checking if any Power has won the game.
Determine New Hegemons
The Power with the highest level in each category now becomes the Hegemon in that area. If there is a tie the previous Hegemon determines which of the tied Powers becomes the new Hegemon, possibly choosing themselves.
Check for Victory
After determining the new Hegemons, check to see if any Power has met one of their victory conditions (see Victory Conditions). If only one Power has met a victory condition, then they immediately win the game; if multiple Powers have then the tie breaker must be used to determine who has won.
Desperate Times
If, after checking for victory, one Power is in last place on all three Hegemony tracks (not tied in any of them), that Power receives the Desperate Times card for the next round. This has two effects: they will gain two additional Thalers during the Income Phase, and they will be able to recruit an additional Dramatis Personae card from the discard pile at a two resource discount.
Next Round
Discard all unpurchased Dramatis Personae cards, then draw five new cards that will be available for purchase in the next Production Phase. Advance the round marker to the next space on the round track, then proceed to the Income Phase of the next round.
If this is the final round of the game, instead determine endgame victory.
Play Tip: Several Dramatis Personae cards give additional endgame victory conditions, which are checked at the same time as Brandenburg-Prussia's Balance of Power condition. If multiple of these conditions have been met, then use the tie breaker to determine which Power has won.
Diplomacy & Negotiation
Players may talk with each other and negotiate (non-binding) deals any time, although the current phase's Hegemon should feel free to cut discussion short if it is taking too long. Classic topics for negotiation include:
- Agreeing to join in a war against a common enemy.
- Not attacking each other in Provinces holding units of both Powers.
- Persuading the Hegemon to allow you to take your turn at a favorable moment.
- Coming to terms with an enemy to stop fighting when it's clear that it is ruinous for both your Powers.
- Begging for money to fight a common enemy or simply to pay off your creditors.
Diplomacy Limitations
Powers may transfer Thalers (but not Goods) to another Power at any time, and Powers are also allowed to exchange control of one or more of their Provinces (simply replace the control disc with a Noble Control marker of the new owner, or Royal Control if Russia). Units, Goods and Dramatis Personae cards cannot be transferred to other Powers under any circumstances.
The only binding agreements players can make are the following:
- Agreeing to simultaneously exchange control of a Province for another Province or for Thaler(s). This must happen while one of the involved Powers is resolving their actions during a phase, e.g., before taking income or repaying Loans. If a Province is exchanged during the Income Phase it will not produce resources twice, i.e., it must be exchanged either before or after producing resources.
- Paying the current Hegemon (in Thalers or Provinces) for agreeing to your proposal about the turn order this Phase, which they must then implement.
All other deals and promises Powers may make are not legally binding and may thus be broken at any time!
Power Specific Rules
The specific rules and National Ambitions for each Power are described in this section, but all relevant information can also be found summarized on the relevant Power mats.
Denmark-Norway (or Denmark)
- Monarch: King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway
- Hegemony Modifiers: +1 Mercantile Hegemony level.
- Military Upkeep: -2 upkeep costs if four or more Provinces have Royal Control.
- Sound Dues: During the Maritime Trade Phase, if Denmark-Norway controls both Copenhagen and Scania, they receive additional Thalers equal to half the highest Volume of Trade among other Powers (rounded up).
- Standard National Ambitions: Control Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Scania.
- Extended National Ambitions: Control all starting Danish Provinces and two or more Swedish Provinces.
Sweden
- Monarch: King Gustavus II Adolphus of Sweden
- Hegemony Modifiers: +1 Mercantile Hegemony level.
- Military Upkeep: -1 upkeep costs if five or more Provinces have Royal Control.
- Superior Firepower: One Swedish Infantry 'Probable Miss' result in each battle is treated as 'Hit'.
- Standard National Ambitions: Control Stockholm, Scania, Riga, and Pomerania.
- Extended National Ambitions: Control Stockholm and at least eight other Provinces.
Russia
- Monarch: Tsar Ivan IV of Russia, "The Terrible"
- Hegemony Modifiers: -1 Mercantile Hegemony level, -2 Production Hegemony level, -2 Military Hegemony level.
- Military Upkeep: -2 upkeep costs if six or more Provinces have Royal Control.
- Autocratic Conqueror: When Russia gains control of a Province it places Royal Control instead of Noble.
- Ill-Trained Troops: All Russian Infantry and Cavalry 'Probable Hit' results are treated as 'Miss'.
- Standard National Ambitions: Control Moscow, Ingria, Smolensk, Kyiv, and Riga.
- Extended National Ambitions: Control all Orthodox Provinces where Cities can be built (Moscow, Tver, Novgorod, Smolensk, and Kyiv), and control at least two Provinces adjacent to sea areas.
Brandenburg-Prussia (or Prussia)
- Monarch: Elector Friedrich Wilhelm of Brandenburg, Duke of Prussia
- Hegemony Modifiers: +2 Mercantile Hegemony level, +1 Production Hegemony level, +1 Military Hegemony level.
- Military Upkeep: -1 upkeep costs if four or more Provinces have Royal Control.
- Vassal of Poland: Brandenburg-Prussia begins the game as a vassal of Poland-Lithuania, marked by the 'Vassal of Poland' counter in their Vassal status box. While this Vassal status is maintained the two Powers are not considered enemy to each other and may move through each other's Provinces freely. Brandenburg-Prussia may choose to cancel this Vassal status at the beginning of any round after the first, at which point the two Powers are considered enemies as normal. Flip the Vassal status marker over to its reverse side to indicate this (Suum Cuique, or 'To Each What He Deserves', was the motto of the Order of the Black Eagle, a chivalric order founded by Frederick I of Prussia).
- Balance of Power: During the Production Phase, Brandenburg-Prussia may produce one Independent unit for free in any Independent Province (without non-Independent units) or Foreign Power area, or a sea adjacent to such areas. During their turn in the War Phase, they may ally for free with one Independent unit. At the end of the final Hegemony Phase, they win if no other Power has yet won, they control both Königsberg and Brandenburg (their starting Provinces), and their Vassal status has been cancelled.
- Standard and Extended National Ambitions: Have a full Court of five Dramatis Personae cards and control both Königsberg and Pomerania.
Poland-Lithuania (or Poland)
- Monarch: King Wladyslaw IV Vasa of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania
- Hegemony Modifiers: -1 Mercantile Hegemony level.
- Military Upkeep: -3 upkeep costs if six or more Provinces have Royal Control.
- Winged Hussars: One Polish Cavalry 'Hit vs Non-Fortress' result in each battle inflicts two hits instead of one (if there is no defending Fortress).
- Standard National Ambitions: Control Malopolska, Vilna, Danzig, Kyiv, and Smolensk.
- Extended National Ambitions: Control all starting Polish Provinces and Smolensk.
Setup & Scenarios
Baltic Empires can be played in several different ways, with multiple scenarios available for two, three, four, or five players. The main 'Northern Wars' scenario covers the whole span of the Northern Wars from 1558 to 1721 and uses the default game rules, while other scenarios introduce additional rules, may only use part of the map, and may have a unique set of victory conditions. The scenarios are summarized below by player count and then presented below in chronological order.
To set up for any scenario, gather the game components, sort the different kinds of resources by type, and put the Maritime Trade resources into a cup for random draw. Set aside the Desperate Times card and any other cards that the scenario indicates you should remove, then shuffle the Dramatis Personae deck and draw five cards that will be available to recruit in the first round.
Each player should take the units and control markers associated with their Power, and the Independent and Dramatis Personae units should be placed to one side. Form the infrastructure tokens into three pools (Workshops, Cities, and Customs Houses). Then, set up the board according to the scenario instructions for each Power (players should set up their own units and infrastructure to speed things up, with Prussia setting up the Independent pieces). A larger diagram of the main 'Northern Wars' scenario setup can be found on the back page of this Rulebook for ease of reference.
Before beginning the main 'Northern Wars' scenario (at any player count), players should decide on which set of victory conditions (Standard or Extended) they want to use, and flip their Power Mats to the appropriate side. Players should also agree on the total length of game that they want to play, either 8 or 12 rounds for Standard, or 12 or 16 rounds for Extended. Other scenarios may have unusual lengths, victory conditions, or setup instructions, as noted below.
Five-player scenarios: Northern Wars, Great Northern War
Four-player scenarios: Northern Wars, Great Northern War
Three-player scenarios: Northern Wars, Livonian War, Northern Seven Years War, Time of Troubles, Scanian War
Two-player scenarios: Northern Wars, Northern Seven Years War, Scanian War, Great Northern War
Design Note: Players should start with the 'Northern Wars', 'Livonian War', or 'Northern Seven Years War' scenarios, which do not introduce any alternative victory conditions, before proceeding to the more advanced scenarios.
Northern Wars (1558) – Five Players
Player Powers: All five Game Length: 8 or 12 rounds (Standard), 12 or 16 rounds (Extended) Victory Conditions: Standard or Extended Special Rules: None, set up as indicated below.
Denmark-Norway Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 2, Production 5, Military 3 Map Setup: Copenhagen (Noble Control, City, Workshop); Scania (Noble Control, 2x Workshop, Fortress); Sørland (Noble Control, Workshop [Timber]); Trøndelag (Noble Control); Jutland (Noble Control, Workshop); Gotland (Noble Control); Ösel (Noble Control); Codanus Sinus (2x Ship of the Line)
Sweden Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 2, Production 5, Military 5 (Hegemon) Map Setup: Stockholm (Royal Control, City, 2x Workshop [Copper and Iron], Infantry, Fortress); Småland (Noble Control, Workshop, Infantry); Värmland (Noble Control, Workshop [Iron]); Finland (Noble Control, Workshop, Cavalry); Mare Sveticum (Ship of the Line)
Russia Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 2, Production 4, Military 3 Map Setup: Moscow (Noble Control, City, Workshop [Iron], Infantry); Tver (Noble Control, Workshop [Fur]); Ladoga (Noble Control); Vologda (Noble Control, Workshop); Novgorod (Noble Control, City, Workshop [Flax]); Ingria (Noble Control, Infantry); Pskov (Noble Control, Infantry, Cavalry); Smolensk (Noble Control, City, Workshop [Hemp], Fortress); Kaluga (Noble Control, Workshop); Severia (Noble Control)
Brandenburg-Prussia Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 3, Production 5, Military 3 Map Setup: Königsberg (Royal Control, City, 2x Workshop, Fortress); Brandenburg (Royal Control, 2x Workshop, Infantry)
Poland-Lithuania Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 3 (Hegemon), Production 6 (Hegemon), Military 2 Map Setup: Warsaw (Noble Control, Workshop [Grain]); Malopolska (Noble Control, City); Wielkopolska (Noble Control, Workshop [Grain]); Danzig (Noble Control, 2x City, Workshop, Fortress); Red Ruthenia (Noble Control, Workshop); Volhynia (Noble Control); Kyiv (Noble Control, City, Workshop); Pripyat (Noble Control); Polesia (Noble Control); Vilna (Noble Control, Workshop [Timber], Cavalry); Vitebsk (Noble Control); Polotsk (Noble Control)
Independent Powers Map Setup: Estonia (Noble Control, Workshop); Riga (Noble Control, 2x City, 2x Workshop); Courland (Noble Control, Workshop); Ottoman & Tartar Lands (Cavalry); Pomerania (Noble Control, City, Fortress); Hamburg (Noble Control, City, Infantry, Fortress); Bremen (Noble Control, City, Fortress); Hanover (Noble Control, 2x City, Workshop [Arms], Infantry, Fortress); Saxony (Noble Control, 2x City, Workshop [Iron], Infantry, Fortress); Habsburg Lands (Infantry); Mare Germanicum (Ship of the Line)
Northern Wars (1558) – Four Players
Player Powers: Denmark-Norway, Sweden, Russia, Poland-Lithuania Game Length: 8 or 12 rounds (Standard), 12 or 16 rounds (Extended) Victory Conditions: Standard or Extended Special Rules: Set up as for the five-player 'Northern Wars' scenario, but Brandenburg-Prussia is controlled according to the following rules.
During the Income Phase, the player who is first done collecting their own resources also collects resources on Prussia's behalf, and places these near the Prussian Power mat.
At the end of the Income Phase, each player secretly bids for the right to control Prussia during this round. This is done by placing as many of their Goods and Thalers as they like in their hand (or otherwise hidden), and when everyone is ready, players simultaneously reveal their bid. The highest bidder discards the chosen Goods and Thalers and gets to control Prussia in every way for this round, while the other players get their Goods and Thalers back and may spend them as usual.
If the bid is a tie, then control of Prussia is awarded to the tied player who bid the highest number of different Goods and Thalers, and if still tied to the player with the lowest combined total on the three Hegemon tracks. If everyone bids zero resources then Poland takes control of Prussia for this round if the Vassal status is still in effect, while the player with the lowest combined score on the three Hegemon Tracks takes control of Prussia if the Vassal status has been cancelled. In both cases the Mercantile Hegemon breaks any remaining ties.
The player controlling Prussia plays on their behalf in each phase, with the following exceptions:
- They may choose to immediately cancel the Vassal status when they take control of Prussia during the Income Phase, as though it were the start of the round (even Poland may do this, but will still remain allied to Prussia for the remainder of the round).
- No transfers of Thalers or exchange of Control markers is possible between Prussia and the controlling player's own Power.
- The controlling player's own Power and Prussia count as being allied for this round, using the same rules as for Prussia and Poland while the Vassal status is in effect.
During the Hegemony Phase it is still possible for Prussia to win as usual by fulfilling a victory condition, in which case all players lose (this can also happen if Prussia wins the game at the end of the last round via their 'Balance of Power' condition).
Northern Wars (1558) – Three Players
Player Powers: Denmark-Norway plus Poland-Lithuania, Sweden, Russia plus Brandenburg-Prussia Game Length: 8 or 12 rounds (Standard), 12 or 16 rounds (Extended) Victory Conditions: Standard or Extended Special Rules: Set up as for the five-player 'Northern Wars' scenario, but one player controls both Denmark-Norway and Poland-Lithuania, one player controls both Russia and Brandenburg-Prussia, and one player controls just Sweden. The Swedish player begins the game with one Dramatis Personae card in play, chosen from Louis de Geer (#12), Axel Oxenstierna (#18), or Erik Dahlberg (#22).
The following restrictions apply to the players controlling two Powers:
- No transfers of Thalers or exchange of Control markers is possible between Powers controlled by the same player.
- Powers controlled by the same player count as being permanently allied, using the same rules as for Prussia and Poland while the Vassal status is in effect.
- Whenever the Hegemon of a track chooses a Power to take a turn during any phase, the next Power to take a turn must be the same player's other Power, if they control two Powers. This means that each player will perform turns for all their Powers in sequence, with the precise order determined by whichever player is the Hegemon for that phase.
- A player wins as soon as either one of their Powers achieves a victory condition during the Hegemony Phase, but only if the Capital Province of their other Power is controlled by that Power.
Northern Wars (1558) – Two Players
Player Powers: Denmark-Norway plus Russia, Sweden plus Poland-Lithuania Game Length: 8 or 12 rounds (Standard), 12 or 16 rounds (Extended) Victory Conditions: Standard or Extended Special Rules: Set up as for the five-player 'Northern Wars' scenario, but one player controls both Denmark-Norway and Sweden, one player controls both Russia and Poland-Lithuania.
Control of Brandenburg-Prussia is determined each round in the same way as described for the four-player 'Northern-Wars' scenario described above. Each player should bid with only one of their two Powers, using a control marker of that Power to indicate which Power is bidding.
The same restrictions apply to both players as during the three-player 'Northern-Wars' scenario described above:
- No transfers of Thalers or exchange of Control markers is possible between Powers controlled by the same player.
- Powers controlled by the same player count as being permanently allied, using the same rules as for Prussia and Poland while the Vassal status is in effect.
- Whenever the Hegemon of a track chooses a Power to take a turn during any phase, the next Power to take a turn must be the same player's other Power. This means that each player will perform turns for all their Powers in sequence, with the precise order determined by whichever player is the Hegemon for that phase.
- A player wins as soon as either one of their Powers achieves a victory condition during the Hegemony Phase, but only if the Capital Province of their other Power is controlled by that Power.
Design Note: This scenario could be considered a historical counterfactual where Sigismund III Vasa retained control of his Swedish throne after 1599, forcing Denmark and Russia to cooperate against the powerful Polish-Swedish union.
Livonian War (1558) – Three Players
Player Powers: Sweden, Russia, Poland-Lithuania Game Length: 8 rounds Victory Conditions: Standard, but Sweden's National Ambition requires control of Danzig instead of Pomerania. Special Rules: Set up the player Powers as for the five-player 'Northern Wars' scenario, but use the alternative setup below for Denmark-Norway, Brandenburg-Prussia, and Independent Powers. All other Provinces are out of play, which you can indicate either by the absence of any control markers or by placing spare Dramatis Personae cards over them face-down.
Remove the following Dramatis Personae cards from the deck before shuffling it and drawing the five round one cards: Christina of Sweden (#14), Coenraad van Beuningen (#19), George Rooke (#20), Leopold I (#30), and Albrecht von Wallenstein (#46).
Denmark-Norway and Brandenburg-Prussia are treated as Independent Powers using the following rules:
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Do not track their Hegemony levels, and do not check any of their victory conditions during the Hegemony Phase or at the end of the game. They do not take any actions during the Income, Maritime Trade, and Finances Phases.
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At the start of the Production Phase the Production Hegemon should roll the Fortress battle die to determine where new Independent units will appear:
- Miss, Block, or Probable Hit: Ottoman & Tartar Lands (1 Independent unit)
- Hit: Scania or Gotland (1 Danish unit)
- Hit and Block: Königsberg (1 Prussian unit)
- Double Block: Königsberg and Scania (1 Prussian unit in Königsberg and 1 Danish unit in Scania)
The player with the lowest combined Hegemony track total decides which units to place in the indicated areas (Production Hegemon breaks ties), and may instead place a Ship of the Line in an adjacent sea area if desired. Infantry and Cavalry may be placed in the indicated Provinces even if they are no longer Independent-controlled, representing invaders or local resistance.
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During the War Phase any player Power may ally with Danish, Prussian, or Independent units at the cost of one Thaler each. Allied Danish and Prussian units may not be used to attack their own units (but Independent units behave as normal and may attack units belonging to any Power, including other Independents).
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The 'Vassal of Poland' special rule is not in play, so Prussian units may be used to attack Poland, and the Polish player may attack Prussia.
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The player with the lowest combined Hegemony track total decides which Infrastructure to remove from Independent Provinces as the result of Devastation at the end of the War Phase (Military Hegemon breaks ties).
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Dramatis Personae effects that refer to 'Independent units' also apply to Danish and Prussian units.
Design Note: This scenario is really just an eastern map version of the main 'Northern Wars' scenario, but it could also be considered a loose parallel to the Livonian War of 1558-1583, which Russia fought against a varying coalition of Swedish, Danish-Norwegian, and Polish-Lithuanian forces. In this case the Danish forces are relegated to a peripheral role as a quasi-Independent Power.
Denmark-Norway Map Setup: Scania (Noble Control, 2x Workshop, Fortress, Infantry); Gotland (Noble Control); Ösel (Noble Control); Mare Goticum (Ship of the Line)
Brandenburg-Prussia Map Setup: Königsberg (Royal Control, City, 2x Workshop, Fortress, Cavalry)
Independent Powers Map Setup: Estonia (Noble Control, Workshop); Riga (Noble Control, 2x City, 2x Workshop); Courland (Noble Control, Workshop); Ottoman & Tartar Lands (Cavalry); Mare Germanicum (Ship of the Line)
Northern Seven Years War (1563) – Three Players
Scenario design by Roman Rogov Player Powers: Denmark-Norway, Sweden, Brandenburg-Prussia Game Length: 8 rounds Victory Conditions: Standard or Extended Special Rules: Set up the player Powers as for the five-player 'Northern Wars' scenario, but use the alternative setup below for Russia, Poland-Lithuania, and Independent Powers. All other map areas are out of play, which you can indicate either by the absence of any control markers or by placing spare Dramatis Personae cards over them face-down.
Remove the following Dramatis Personae cards from the deck before shuffling it and drawing the five round one cards: Bohdan Khmelnytsky (#6), Mehmed IV (#24), Augustyn Kordecki (#40), and John III Sobieski (#54).
Russia and Poland-Lithuania are treated as Independent Powers using the following rules:
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Do not track their Hegemony levels (this means that Denmark will begin play as the Production Hegemon and Prussia as the Mercantile Hegemon), and do not check any of their victory conditions during the Hegemony Phase or at the end of the game. They do not take any actions during the Income, Maritime Trade, and Finances Phases.
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At the start of the Production Phase the Production Hegemon should roll the Fortress battle die to determine where new Russian and Polish units will appear:
- Miss: No units are placed.
- Block: Estonia (1 Russian unit)
- Probable Hit: Riga (2 Russian units) or Finland (1 Russian unit)
- Hit: Courland (1 Polish unit)
- Hit and Block: Danzig (2 Polish units)
- Double Block: Danzig (1 Polish unit) and Riga (2 Russian units)
Prussia decides which units are placed in the indicated areas, and may instead place a Ship of the Line in an adjacent sea area if desired. Infantry and Cavalry may be placed in the indicated Provinces even if they are no longer Independent-controlled, representing invaders or local resistance. Prussia may also still place one regular Independent unit as usual.
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During the War Phase any player Power may ally with Russian, Polish, or Independent units at the cost of one Thaler per unit. Allied Russian and Polish units use their normal special rules and may not be used to attack their own units (but Independent units behave as normal and may attack units belonging to any Power, including other Independents).
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The 'Vassal of Poland' special rule is in play as normal, so allied Polish units may not be used to attack Prussia while it is in effect (and vice versa).
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The player with the lowest combined Hegemony track total decides which Infrastructure to remove from Independent Provinces as the result of Devastation at the end of the War Phase (Military Hegemon breaks ties).
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Dramatis Personae effects that refer to 'Independent units' also apply to Russian and Polish units.
Design Note: This scenario is really just a western map version of the main 'Northern Wars' scenario, but it could also be considered a loose parallel to the Northern Seven Years War of 1563-1570, which Sweden fought against a loose coalition of Denmark-Norway, Lübeck, and Poland–Lithuania. Here Lübeck and other Germanic powers are represented by Brandenburg-Prussia, while Russia and Poland-Lithuania both have a peripheral role as quasi-Independent Powers.
Russia Map Setup: Riga (2 Infantry and 1 Cavalry); Estonia (1 Infantry)
Poland-Lithuania Map Setup: Danzig (Noble Control, 2x City, Workshop, Fortress, Infantry); Courland (Noble Control, Workshop, Cavalry)
Independent Powers Map Setup: Estonia (Noble Control, Workshop); Riga (Noble Control, 2x City, 2x Workshop); Pomerania (Noble Control, City, Fortress); Hamburg (Noble Control, City, Infantry, Fortress); Bremen (Noble Control, City, Fortress); Hanover (Noble Control, City, Fortress, Infantry, Workshop [Arms]); Saxony (Noble Control, City, Fortress, Infantry, Workshop [Iron]); Habsburg Lands (Infantry, Cavalry); Mare Germanicum (Ship of the Line)
Northern Seven Years War (1563) – Two Players
Player Powers: Denmark-Norway, Sweden Game Length: 8 rounds Victory Conditions: The normal victory conditions are not used. Check the following victory conditions (only) during each Hegemony Phase and at the end of the game:
- Denmark-Norway wins if they control at least six of their starting Provinces, and also control either Stockholm or any two other Swedish Provinces.
- Sweden wins if they control all their starting Provinces, and also control either three additional Provinces anywhere or a Customs House in Riga.
- Additional victory conditions introduced by Dramatis Personae cards are still available, but are only checked during the final Hegemony Phase.
- If neither player has achieved a victory condition by the end of the game, Brandenburg-Prussia wins and both players lose.
Special Rules: Set up Denmark-Norway and Sweden as for the five-player 'Northern Wars' scenario, but use the alternative setup below for all other Powers (including Independents). All other map areas are out of play, which you can indicate either by the absence of any control markers or by placing spare Dramatis Personae cards over them face-down.
Remove the following Dramatis Personae cards from the deck before shuffling it and drawing the five round one cards: Bohdan Khmelnytsky (#6), Charles X (#7), Christina of Sweden (#14), Mehmed IV (#24), Leopold I (#30), Augustyn Kordecki (#40), Elector Georg William (#44), Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin (#45), Albrecht von Wallenstein (#46), and John III Sobieski (#54).
Russia, Brandenburg-Prussia, and Poland-Lithuania are treated as Independent Powers using the following rules:
- Do not track their Hegemony levels (this means that Denmark will begin play as the Mercantile and Production Hegemon), and do not check any of their victory conditions during the Hegemony Phase or at the end of the game. They do not take any actions during the Income, Maritime Trade, and Finances Phases. Treat their highest Volume of Trade as three for the purposes of Denmark's 'Sound Dues' special rule.
- During the Production Phase the Danish player places two Russian units of their choice in Ingria or Pskov, unless both Provinces are Swedish-controlled; and one Polish unit of their choice in Vilna or Polotsk, unless both Provinces are Swedish-controlled. No new Prussian or Independent units will be placed during this scenario.
- During the War Phase Denmark (only) may ally with Russian and/or Polish units at the cost of one Thaler per unit, while both players may ally with Prussian and Independent units in the same way. Allied Russian, Prussian, and Polish units use their normal special rules and may not be used to attack their own units (but Independent units behave as normal and may attack units belonging to any Power, including other Independents).
- The 'Vassal of Poland' special rule is in play as normal, so Prussian and Polish forces may not be used to attack each other.
- The player with the lowest combined Hegemony track total decides which Infrastructure to remove from Independent Provinces as the result of Devastation at the end of the War Phase (Military Hegemon breaks ties).
- Dramatis Personae effects that refer to 'Independent units' also apply to Russian, Prussian, and Polish units.
Russia Map Setup: Ingria (Noble Control, Infantry); Pskov (Noble Control, Infantry); Riga (2 Infantry and 1 Cavalry); Estonia (1 Infantry)
Brandenburg-Prussia Map Setup: Königsberg (Royal Control, City, 2x Workshop, Fortress, Infantry)
Poland-Lithuania Map Setup: Danzig (Noble Control, 2x City, Workshop, Fortress); Vilna (Noble Control, Workshop [Timber], Cavalry); Polotsk (Noble Control); Courland (Noble Control, Workshop, Cavalry)
Independent Powers Map Setup: Estonia (Noble Control, Workshop); Riga (Noble Control, 2x City, 2x Workshop); Pomerania (Noble Control, City, Fortress); Hamburg (Noble Control, Workshop, City, Infantry, Fortress); Mare Germanicum (Ship of the Line)
Time of Troubles (1604) – Three Players
Scenario design by Roman Rogov Player Powers: Sweden, Russia, Poland-Lithuania Game Length: 6 rounds, starting with the first War Phase Victory Conditions: The normal victory conditions are not used. Check the following alternative victory conditions (only) during the final Hegemony Phase (no early victory is possible):
- Sweden wins* (see below) if they control Stockholm, Finland, Estonia, Ingria, and Riga.
- Russia wins if they control Moscow, Smolensk, and either Ingria or Finland.
- Poland-Lithuania wins* (see below) if they control Warsaw, Vilna, and either Smolensk or Moscow.
- Additional victory conditions introduced by Dramatis Personae cards are still available, but are only checked during the final Hegemony Phase.
- Sweden cannot win unless Poland-Lithuania has not met any victory conditions, and Poland-Lithuania cannot win unless neither Sweden nor Russia have met any victory conditions.
- If no Power has won at the end of the game, apply the usual tie-breaker conditions.
Special Rules: Set up all Powers as indicated below. All other map areas are out of play, which you can indicate either by the absence of any control markers or by placing spare Dramatis Personae cards over them face-down.
Before the game begins, each Power secretly chooses a starting Court as follows:
- Sweden: Any two cards selected from Maurice of Nassau (#9), Louis de Geer (#12), Jacob De la Gardie (#49), and Clas Larsson Fleming (#55).
- Russia: One card selected from Andrey Chokhov (#25), Yermak Timofeyevich (#31), Boris Godunov (#41), and Dmitry Pozharsky (#57).
- Poland: Any three cards selected from The False Dimtrys (#8), Stefan Báthory (#16), Stanislaw Koniecpolski (#26), Sigismund III Vasa (#27), Adam Freytag (#38), and Mikolaj Sienicki (#39).
Reveal the starting Courts and return any cards not chosen to the deck, then remove the following Dramatis Personae cards from the deck before shuffling it: Charles XII (#1), Peter the Great (#2), Peter Tordenskjold (#3), Christina of Sweden (#14), Coenraad van Beuningen (#19), George Rooke (#20), Leopold I (#30), Alexander Menshikov (#34), Jan Zamoyski (#35), Elector George William (#44), Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin (#45), Albrecht von Wallenstein (#46), and John III Sobieski (#54). Do not yet draw any Dramatis Personae cards, as the first Production Phase is skipped.
Design Note: The cards Charles XII (#1), Peter the Great (#2), Peter Tordenskjold (#3), Alexander Menschikov (#34) and John III Sobieski (#54) are removed for balance purposes as well as for historicity and flavor. However, their effects are compatible with the scenario, so players may add them to the deck if desired, even though we recommend not to.
Denmark-Norway and Brandenburg-Prussia are treated as Independent Powers using the following rules:
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Do not track their Hegemony levels, and do not check any of their victory conditions during the Hegemony Phase or at the end of the game. They do not take any actions during the Income, Maritime Trade, and Finances Phases.
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At the start of the Production Phase the Production Hegemon should roll the Fortress battle die to determine where new Independent units will appear:
- Miss, Block, or Probable Hit: Ottoman & Tartar Lands (1 Independent unit)
- Hit: Scania or Gotland (1 Danish unit)
- Hit and Block: Königsberg (1 Prussian unit)
- Double Block: Königsberg and Scania (1 Prussian unit in Königsberg and 1 Danish unit in Scania)
The player with the lowest combined Hegemony track total decides which units to place in the indicated areas (Production Hegemon breaks ties), and may instead place a Ship of the Line in an adjacent sea area if desired. Infantry and Cavalry may be placed in the indicated Provinces even if they are no longer Independent-controlled, representing invaders or local resistance.
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During the War Phase any player Power may ally with Danish, Prussian, or Independent units at the cost of one Thaler per unit. Allied Danish may not be used to attack their own units (but Prussian and other Independent units may attack units belonging to any Power, including other Prussians or Independents). The 'Vassal of Poland' special rule is not in play, so Prussian units may be used to attack Poland, and the Polish player may attack Prussia.
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The player with the lowest combined Hegemony track total decides which Infrastructure to remove from Independent Provinces as the result of Devastation at the end of the War Phase (Military Hegemon breaks ties).
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Dramatis Personae effects that refer to 'Independent units' also apply to Danish and Prussian units.
The game begins with the first War Phase, skipping the first Income, Maritime Trade, Finances, and Production Phases. No Powers are considered to have any Thalers saved.
Design Note: Historically, Prussian vassalage was not yet lifted, as by 1606 Prussia wasn't even united with Brandenburg. However, all armies in the Time of Troubles used some contingents of German mercenaries – so the bribing of individual Prussian units symbolizes recruiting individual German mercenary companies. This is also why Prussian units can attack other Prussian units, as those are not Prussian units per se but rather an abstract representation of German mercenaries.
Denmark-Norway Map Setup: Scania (Noble Control, Fortress, Infantry); Gotland (Noble Control); Ösel (Noble Control); Mare Goticum (2x Ship of the Line)
Sweden Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 2, Production 7, Military 6 Map Setup: Stockholm (Royal Control, City, 2x Workshop [Copper and Iron], Infantry, Fortress); Småland (Royal Control, Workshop); Värmland (Royal Control, 2x Workshop); Finland (Noble Control, Workshop, Cavalry); Estonia (Noble Control, Workshop, Infantry, Cavalry); Mare Sveticum (Ship of the Line)
Russia Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 2, Production 10, Military 5 Map Setup: Moscow (Royal Control, City, 2x Workshop, Infantry); Tver (Noble Control, Workshop [Fur]); Ladoga (Noble Control); Vologda (Noble Control, Workshop); Novgorod (Royal Control, City, 2x Workshop, Cavalry); Ingria (Royal Control, Workshop, Infantry); Pskov (Noble Control, Workshop [Hemp]); Smolensk (Royal Control, City, 2x Workshop [Grain and Hemp], Fortress); Kaluga (Royal Control, Workshop); Severia (Royal Control, Workshop, 2x Infantry, Cavalry)
Brandenburg-Prussia Map Setup: Königsberg (Royal Control, 2x Workshop, City, Fortress, Infantry)
Poland-Lithuania Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 4 (Hegemon), Production 13 (Hegemon), Military 7 (Hegemon) Map Setup: Warsaw (Noble Control, City, Workshop [Grain], Cavalry); Malopolska (Noble Control, Workshop [Copper]); Wielkopolska (Noble Control, Workshop [Grain]); Danzig (Noble Control, 2x City, Workshop, Fortress); Red Ruthenia (Noble Control, Workshop); Volhynia (Noble Control, Workshop); Kyiv (Noble Control, City, Workshop); Pripyat (Noble Control, Infantry, 2x Cavalry); Polesia (Noble Control, Workshop); Vilna (Noble Control, 2x Workshop [Grain and Timber], Cavalry); Vitebsk (Noble Control); Polotsk (Noble Control, Workshop [Flax]); Riga (Noble Control, City, Workshop); Courland (Noble Control, Workshop, Cavalry)
Independent Powers Map Setup: Ottoman & Tartar Lands (Cavalry)
Design Note: The 1600s were dark times for north-eastern Europe. The hardships of the Little Ice Age struck here especially hard, since the Polish and Russian economies were very dependent on agriculture, which faced severe problems in such a poor climate. This caused famine. Famine caused poverty. Poverty caused a crisis. Russian people sought salvation in a miraculous man who claimed to be the survived son of Ivan IV Dimtry. He was accompanied by the Polish low nobility, who sought adventure and conquest as a salvation from the crisis. But this little adventure became much more, as it was followed by a tumultuous period, known as the Time of Troubles, which involved a plethora of different pretenders to the Russian throne, the advance of the Polish king to Russia (occupying Moscow and almost crowning a Polish prince as the Tsar), and the involvement of Sweden, laying the foundation for what was to become Gustavus Adolphus' great empire.
In Russian the word "Smuta" means not only the "Time of Troubles" but also Time of Uncertainty, or Mess. And now it's up to you to decide how this Uncertainty ends. Will the Polish prince become the new Russian tsar? Will Sweden lay the foundations of its empire? And will Russia survive the crisis? History is up to you!
Scanian War (1674) – Three Players
Scenario design by Roman Rogov Player Powers: Denmark-Norway, Sweden, Brandenburg-Prussia Game Length: 5 rounds, starting with the War Phase Victory Conditions: Check for victory conditions only during the final Hegemony Phase (no early victory is possible), and replace the National Ambitions with the following:
- Denmark-Norway wins if they control Copenhagen, Scania, and either Bremen or Hamburg.
- Sweden wins if they control Stockholm and either Copenhagen or both Scania and Pomerania.
- Brandenburg-Prussia wins if they control Brandenburg, Pomerania, and either Bremen or Hamburg.
- Additional victory conditions introduced by Dramatis Personae cards are still available, but are only checked during the final Hegemony Phase.
- If Denmark-Norway and Brandenburg-Prussia both achieve their victory conditions and prevent Swedish victory, then they count as winning together, without having to check the tiebreaker.
- If no power has won, check for Brandenburg-Prussia's 'Balance of Power' victory, then apply the usual tie-breaker conditions.
Special Rules: Set up all Powers as indicated below. Courland and Danzig are treated as empty Provinces that may not be conquered but units may still pass through. All other map areas are out of play, which you can indicate either by the absence of any control markers or by placing spare Dramatis Personae cards over them face-down. Russia and Poland-Lithuania are not in the game at all.
Sweden begins the game with two Loans, one due in Round 2 and the other in Round 3. Place Swedish control markers on the '2' and '3' spaces of the Round Track to represent these Loans. If Sweden ever fails to pay back a Loan (placing it in the State Bankruptcy box) they immediately lose the game, with Denmark-Norway and Brandenburg-Prussia determining victory as though it is now the final Hegemony Phase.
Before the game begins, each Power secretly chooses a starting Court as follows:
- Denmark-Norway: Svend Poulsen (#56), plus any two cards selected from: Frederick III (#4), Cornelis Tromp (#11), Niels Juel (#23), Hans Egede (#36), Cornelius Berenberg (#42), and Chajim Fürst (#43).
- Sweden: Any four cards selected from Louis De Geer (#12), Hedwig Eleonora (#13), Coenraad van Beuningen (#19), Louis XIV (#21), Erik Dahlberg (#22), and Clas Larsson Fleming (#55).
- Brandenburg-Prussia: Georg von Derfflinger (#17), plus one other card selected from Thomas Roe (#28), Leopold I (#30) or Joachim von Blumenthal (#29).
Reveal the starting Courts and return any cards not chosen to the deck, then remove the following Dramatis Personae cards from the deck before shuffling it: Bohdan Khmelnytsky (#6), Charles X (#7), Christina of Sweden (#14), Mehmed IV (#24), Jan Zamoyski (#35), Markus Fugger (#37), Augustyn Kordecki (#40), Elector Georg William (#44), Afanasy Ordin-Nashchokin (#45), Tycho Brahe (#48), John III Sobieski (#54). Do not yet draw any Dramatis Personae cards, as the first Production Phase is skipped.
The game begins with the first War Phase, skipping the first Income, Maritime Trade, Finances, and Production Phases. No Powers are considered to have any Thalers saved.
Denmark-Norway Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 3, Production 5, Military 7 Map Setup: Copenhagen (Royal Control, City, Workshop, Fortress, Cavalry, 2x Infantry); Sørland (Royal Control, Workshop [Timber]); Trøndelag (Royal Control, Workshop [Copper]); Jutland (Royal Control, Workshop, Cavalry); Hamburg (Noble Control, City, Workshop); Codanus Sinus (2x Ship of the Line)
Sweden Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 6 (Hegemon), Production 12 (Hegemon), Military 12 (Hegemon) Map Setup: Stockholm (Royal Control, City, 3x Workshop, Fortress, Infantry, Cavalry); Småland (Noble Control, Workshop, Infantry); Värmland (Noble Control, 2x Workshop); Finland (Noble Control, Workshop, Cavalry); Scania (Noble Control, City, Workshop [Grain], Fortress); Pomerania (Noble Control, City, Workshop, 2x Infantry); Bremen (Noble Control, City, Workshop); Gotland (Noble Control); Ösel (Noble Control); Estonia (Noble Control, Workshop, Infantry); Riga (Noble Control, City, Workshop, Fortress); Ingria (Noble Control); Mare Sveticum (Ship of the Line); Mare Goticum (Ship of the Line)
Brandenburg-Prussia Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 4, Production 5, Military 9 (including Georg von Derfflinger) Map Setup: Königsberg (Royal Control, City, 2x Workshop, Fortress, Derfflinger); Brandenburg (Royal Control, 2x Workshop, City, Fortress, 2x Infantry, Cavalry). Polish Vassal status has already been removed.
Independent Powers Map Setup: Hanover (Noble Control, City, Fortress, Infantry, Cavalry); Saxony (Noble Control, City, Fortress, Infantry, Cavalry); Habsburg Lands (Infantry); Mare Germanicum (Ship of the Line)
Scanian War (1674) – Two Players
Scenario design by Roman Rogov Player Powers: Denmark-Norway plus Brandenburg-Prussia, Sweden Game Length: 5 rounds, starting with the War Phase Victory Conditions: Same conditions as the three-player 'Scanian War' scenario Special Rules: Set up as for the three-player 'Scanian War' scenario, but one player controls both Denmark-Norway and Brandenburg-Prussia, while the other player controls just Sweden. The game begins with the first War Phase, skipping the first Income, Maritime Trade, Finances, and Production Phases.
The following restrictions apply to the player controlling two Powers:
- No transfers of Thalers or exchange of Control markers is possible between Denmark-Norway and Brandenburg-Prussia.
- Denmark-Norway and Brandenburg-Prussia count as being permanently allied, using the same rules as for Prussia and Poland while the Vassal status is in effect.
- Whenever the Hegemon of a track chooses a Power to take a turn during any phase, the next Power to take a turn must be the same player's other Power, if they control two Powers. This means that each player will perform turns for all their Powers in sequence, with the precise order determined by whichever player is the Hegemon for that phase.
- The player controlling Denmark-Norway and Brandenburg-Prussia wins if one of their Powers achieves a victory condition during the final Hegemony Phase, but only if the other Power controls their Capital Province and at least one Swedish starting Province (marked as Swedish on the map). If this condition is unfulfilled, the game is considered a draw (the Prussian 'Balance of Power' victory condition is not used).
Great Northern War (1700) – Five Players
Player Powers: All five Game Length: 6 rounds, starting with the first War Phase Victory Conditions: The normal victory conditions are not used. Check the following alternative victory conditions (only) during the final Hegemony Phase (no early victory is possible):
- Denmark-Norway wins if they control Copenhagen and either Scania, Stockholm, or Hamburg.
- Sweden wins if they control Stockholm, Scania, Riga and Pomerania, and controlled at least one of Warsaw or Moscow at any point in the game (mark with a Polish or Russian control marker on Sweden's Power mat); alternatively they win if they control Stockholm and any combination of four other Capital Provinces or Trade Centers.
- Russia wins if they control Moscow, Kyiv, and at least two Provinces adjacent to sea areas.
- Brandenburg-Prussia wins if they control both Königsberg and Brandenburg, and either controls Pomerania or has five cards in its Court.
- Poland-Lithuania wins if they prevent a Swedish victory and control Warsaw, Danzig, Vilna, and Saxony.
- Additional victory conditions introduced by Dramatis Personae cards are still available, but are only checked during the final Hegemony Phase.
- If any combination of Denmark-Norway, Russia, and Poland-Lithuania achieve their victory conditions and prevent Swedish victory, then they all count as winning together, without having to check the tiebreaker.
- If no power has won, check for Brandenburg-Prussia's 'Balance of Power' victory, then apply the usual tie-breaker conditions.
Special Rules: Set up all Powers as indicated below.
Before the game begins, each Power secretly chooses a starting Court as follows:
- Denmark-Norway: Any three cards selected from Peter Tordenskjold (#3), Frederick III (#4), Niels Juel (#23), Thomas Roe (#28), Cornelius Berenberg (#42), Tycho Brahe (#48), and Svend Poulsen (#56).
- Sweden: Any five cards selected from Charles XII (#1), Charles X (#7), Maurice of Nassau (#9), Radziwill Cousins (#10), Louis de Geer (#12), Hedwig Eleonora (#13), Axel Oxenstierna (#18), Coenraad van Beuningen (#19), George Rooke (#20), Louis XIV (#21), Erik Dahlberg (#22), Ivan Mazepa (#52), and Clas Larsson Fleming (#55).
- Russia: Peter the Great (#2), plus two other cards chosen from Patriarch Philaret (#15), Andrey Chokhov (#25), Yermak Timofeyevich (#31), Alexander Menshikov (#34), Boris Godunov (#41), Sophia Alekseyevna (#53), and Dmitry Pozharsky (#57).
- Brandenburg-Prussia: Georg von Derfflinger (#17) and Joachim von Blumenthal (#29).
- Poland-Lithuania: Any three cards selected from Stefan Báthory (#16), Stanislaw Koniecpolski (#26), Jan Zamoyski (#35), Adam Freytag (#38), Mikolaj Sienicki (#39), Marie Louise Gonzaga (#51), and John III Sobieski (#54).
Reveal the starting Courts and return any cards not chosen to the deck, then remove the following Dramatis Personae cards from the deck before shuffling it: Alexis I (#5), Bohdan Khmelnytsky (#6), Christina of Sweden (#14), Sigismund III Vasa (#27), Elector Georg William (#44), and Albrecht von Wallenstein (#46). Do not yet draw any Dramatis Personae cards, as the first Production Phase is skipped.
The game begins with the first War Phase, skipping the first Income, Maritime Trade, Finances, and Production Phases. No Powers are considered to have any Thalers saved.
Denmark-Norway Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 3, Production 5, Military 7 Map Setup: Copenhagen (Royal Control, City, Workshop, Fortress); Sørland (Royal Control, Workshop [Timber], Fortress); Trøndelag (Royal Control, Workshop [Copper]); Jutland (Royal Control, Workshop, Infantry, Cavalry); Hamburg (Noble Control, City, Workshop); Codanus Sinus (3x Ship of the Line)
Sweden Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 8 (Hegemon), Production 13 (Hegemon), Military 14 (Hegemon) Map Setup: Stockholm (Royal Control, City, 3x Workshop, Fortress, Infantry); Småland (Royal Control, Workshop); Värmland (Noble Control, 2x Workshop); Finland (Royal Control, Workshop, Cavalry); Scania (Royal Control, City, 2x Workshop, Fortress, Infantry, Cavalry); Pomerania (Noble Control, City, Workshop, Fortress, Infantry); Bremen (Noble Control, City, Workshop, Infantry); Gotland (Noble Control); Ösel (Noble Control); Estonia (Noble Control, Workshop, Infantry); Riga (Noble Control, 2x City, Customs House, Workshop, Fortress); Ingria (Noble Control); Mare Sveticum (Ship of the Line); Mare Goticum (2x Ship of the Line)
Russia Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 5 (including Peter the Great), Production 11 (including Peter the Great), Military 7 (including Peter the Great) Map Setup: Moscow (Royal Control, City, 2x Workshop); Tver (Royal Control, Workshop [Fur]); Ladoga (Royal Control); Vologda (Royal Control, Workshop); Novgorod (Royal Control, City, Workshop [Flax], 2x Cavalry, 3x Infantry); Pskov (Royal Control, Workshop [Hemp], Infantry); Smolensk (Royal Control, City, 2x Workshop [Hemp and Grain], Fortress); Kaluga (Royal Control, Workshop); Severia (Royal Control, Workshop); Kyiv (Royal Control, City, 2x Workshop)
Brandenburg-Prussia Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 4, Production 8 (including Joachim von Blumenthal), Military 8 (including Georg von Derfflinger) Map Setup: Königsberg (Royal Control, City, 2x Workshop, Fortress, Infantry, Derfflinger); Brandenburg (Royal Control, 2x Workshop, City, Fortress, Cavalry). Polish Vassal status has already been removed.
Poland-Lithuania Starting Hegemon Track Positions: Mercantile 6, Production 10, Military 5 Map Setup: Warsaw (Noble Control, City, 2x Workshop); Malopolska (Noble Control, City, Workshop [Copper]); Wielkopolska (Noble Control, Workshop [Grain]); Danzig (Noble Control, Customs House, City, Workshop, Fortress); Red Ruthenia (Noble Control, Workshop); Volhynia (Noble Control, Workshop); Pripyat (Noble Control); Polesia (Noble Control, Workshop); Vilna (Noble Control, City); Vitebsk (Noble Control); Polotsk (Noble Control, Workshop [Flax]); Saxony (Noble Control, 2x City, Workshop [Iron], Fortress); Courland (Noble Control, Cavalry, 2x Infantry)
Independent Powers Map Setup: Ottoman & Tartar Lands (Empty); Hanover (Noble Control, 2x City, Workshop [Arms], Fortress, Infantry, Cavalry); Habsburg Lands (Cavalry, 2x Infantry); Mare Germanicum (2x Ship of the Line)
Great Northern War (1700) – Four Players
Player Powers: Denmark-Norway, Sweden, Russia, Poland-Lithuania Game Length: 6 rounds, starting with the War Phase Victory Conditions: Same conditions as the five-player 'Great Northern War' scenario Special Rules: Set up as for the five-player 'Great Northern War' scenario, but Brandenburg-Prussia is controlled following the same rules as the four-player 'Northern Wars' scenario.
Great Northern War (1700) – Two Players
Player Powers: Denmark-Norway, Russia, and Poland-Lithuania (one 'Coalition' player); Sweden Game Length: 6 rounds, starting with the War Phase Victory Conditions: Same conditions as the five-player 'Great Northern War' scenario, but the 'Coalition' player must achieve at least two of their three victory conditions to win. If both sides achieve one victory condition then the game is tied. Special Rules: Set up as for the five-player 'Great Northern War' scenario, but Brandenburg-Prussia is controlled following the same rules as the two-player 'Northern Wars' scenario. Ties during bidding, including if both players bid nothing, go to Sweden.
Key Terms Index
- Assert Control – Conquest option to begin gaining control of a Province.
- Autocratic Conqueror – Russian special rule to always place new control markers as Royal Control.
- Balance of Power – Prussian special rule to place and control an Independent unit, and potentially win at the end of the game if no other Power has won.
- Battle Dice – Special dice used during battles, one type per unit.
- Battle Resolution – Resolution of battles by rolling battle dice.
- Cavalry – Mobile land unit that moves fast and is weak against Fortresses.
- City – Infrastructure that produces Thalers.
- Conquest – Options available to a Power conquering an enemy Province.
- Cultural Hegemony – Victory condition that requires being Hegemon on all three tracks.
- Customs House – Infrastructure that produces Thalers and Maritime Trade resources.
- Devastation – Removal of infrastructure due to units from multiple Powers occupying one Province.
- Desperate Times – Bonus card that is granted to a Power at the bottom of all three Hegemony Tracks.
- Dramatis Personae – Card that can be recruited to a Power's court, with a variety of different effects.
- Finances Phase – Round phase where Powers take out or pay back Loans, then pay military upkeep.
- Foreign Power Area – Maritime Powers, Habsburg Lands, Ottoman & Tartar Lands.
- Fortress – Strong but immobile land unit.
- Hegemony Phase – Round phase where Hegemons are updated and victory may be achieved.
- Hegemony Track – Used to track Hegemony levels and current Hegemons.
- Ill-Trained Troops – Russian special rule that treats all Infantry and Cavalry PROBABLE HIT results as MISS.
- Immediate – Dramatis Personae card that has an immediate effect.
- Income Phase – Round phase where Powers receive Goods and Thalers.
- Infantry – Mobile land unit.
- Infrastructure – Workshop, City, or Customs House.
- Leader – Dramatis Personae card that grants a specific Leader unit with special powers.
- Loan – Grant two Thalers that must be repaid as three Thalers in two rounds time.
- Loan Limit – The maximum number of Loans that may be taken at one time.
- Maritime Trade Phase – Round phase where Powers exchange Goods for Maritime Trade resources.
- Mercantile Hegemony Level – Controlled Cities plus Customs Houses.
- Mercantile Hegemon – Decides turn order in Maritime Trade and Finances Phases, receives one additional Maritime Trade resource.
- Military Hegemony Level – Units on map.
- Military Hegemon – Decides turn order in War Phase.
- National Ambition – Victory condition with Power-specific requirements.